Improvement in the construction of war-vessels



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER ANDREW, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WAR-VESSELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,788, dated September8, 1863.

To @ZZ wlw/'it it may concer-lz:

Be it known that I, PETER ANDREW, of Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, andState of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in theConstruction of Vessels of War to be used as Rams and Gunboats; and Ihereby declare that the following is a full and sufficient descriptionthereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of thespecification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

In the drawings which illustrate my improvement, Figure 1 is aperspective view of the vessel, showing the gun-deck and deckplank asbraces abutting against the beam, sides, and port-holes; Fig. 2,perspective view of a modification of the beam, showing shaft E; Fig. 3,perspective view of the gun and carriage Eig. 4, a perspective View ofthe gun and guiderails attached; Fig. 5, a perspective view of thecircular shutter for the porthole.

My invention is embraced in the following several devices: first, thepeculiar construction ofthe gun deck ,I second, the form and arrangement ofthe port-holes; third, the arrangement and adaptation ofthedeck-plank, with the central timber or beam, C, bracing each otherfourth, thecombination of the beam and decks for giving strength to thevessel used as a ram by means of lock-pieces g.

A represents the sides of the gun-deck; B, the port-holes; C, the beamforming the eX- treme end of the bow, from stem to stern, through themiddle ofthe vessel, to serve as a battering-ram; D, planks ofthe deckand bottom for bracing in time of collision 5 E, shaft that can bescrewed ont of the bow end of the beam when the vessel is used as aram;F, the

gun G, wheels upon the trunnions ofthe gun; H, side rails ofgun-carriage; 1, projection from front cross-rail for attaching thegun-carriage to the port-hole; J, guide-rails for guiding the gun intime of recoil; K, projections from guide-rails, through which thetrunnions of the gun pass for fastening it to the carriage; L, pinpassingthrough projection I, for attaching gun-carriage to the port-holeand holding the gun in position, so that the muzzle may be run out atany change in the range of the gun.

Letter a represents projections from guiderails sliding in slot b, whichis adapted to said projection; c, wheel and screw for elevating anddepressing the muzzle ofgun; d,crossrail and journals through whichscrew ofc passes; g, pieces inserted in the beam or the seams to preventthe beam-pieces of timber from sliding on each other during collision h,capstanhead on shaft E t, nuts inserted in the beam through which theshaft is screwed; j, wheels formoving the gun-carriage 7c, opening inthe beam for access to the stuffing-box.

The sides ofthe gun-boat diverge from apoint in the middle of the vesselnear the bow, and run obliquely across the deck backward and outward ina direct line toward the stern to the outside of the hull, and mayextend a little beyond it, forming a halfcircle at the stern, or,instead of a half-circle, it may be formed wedge-shaped, as by themeeting of two right lines at an angle of eighty or ninety degreesthusThe drawing shows the semicircular form. This arrangement of the sidesgives the deck a wedge form. At a few feet from the extreme point thesides diverge at right angles for giving room for a gun to be usedpointing directly over the bow. This gun will have a lateral range fromthe side port-holes as great as that of other guns. The aft side B ofthe port-holes projects from the side of the vessel. The projectionbegins opposite the gun, and being for the length of the gun, or alittle more, depending upon' the diameter of the gun in part, and alsoin part on the Obliquity of the sides of the hull, as compared with themedial longitudinal line. The gun, when discharged toward the bow, liesin this projection, which extends upward from the deck a little abovethe gun, except at the opening, where it is contracted to the size ofthe porthole. The shutter is hinged to the projecting side, or acircular shutter, such as shown in drawings, Fig. 5, may be used, whichmay probably answer the purpose better. This will be turned into thevessel when the port is opened. Other devices may be used. The beam cruns through the vessel from stem to stern, eX- tending from thegun-deck downward to the bottom of the vessel, constructed of heavypieces of timber bolted together, and having pieces g inserted at theseams to prevent them from slipping atthe time ofcollision. The deck andbottom plank will beheavy, extending horizontally, but obliquely, fromthe medial line to the sides of the vessel. This arrangement of theplanks makes them braces, and causes the whole Weight of the vessel tobe thrown on beam at the moment of collision, each plank of the deck andbottom bearing a portion of the Weight and distributing it throughoutthe Whole length of the beam. Doorways, with heavy frames, are madethrough the beam. Beams may be made, as shown in Fig. 2, solid from topto bottom, except at intervals.

For the purpose ot' reaching the weakestpart of the hold of the opposingvessel and making a hole in it below the water-line, the iron shaft E isused. This shaft passes through a copper cylinder, having a stufingboxto prevent leakage. The cylinder is inserted in the bow end of the boatsbeam. The outer end ofthe shaft is wed ge form, corresponding to the bowof the vessel. The inside end has a screw upon it working in nuts, whichare inserted in the beam. The capstan-head h upon the shaft is forscrewing it out when required. The engine and boilers should be, as faras practicable, fastened to the beam. The guncarriage is arranged toaccupy as little space as possible, and is in other respects adapted tothe porthole. It is simple in its construction. Two parallel horizontalrails, H, connected at each` end by cross-rails, the one toward themuzzle of the gun having projection I, connecting the gun-carrie ge tothe port-hole by pin L. Wheels for moving the cannon are placed upon thetrunnions, said wheels having lianges which traverse the parallel railsH, tol prevent the gun at the time of recoil from being thrown from thecarriage. The guide-rails J, having projections a, which slide in slotb, are ararranged, or there may be langes at the upper and lower edges,passing over the edges of rails H, While the trunnions of the gun passthrough projections from the guide-rails. These guide-rails are alsoconnected by crossrails at each end, one near the breech of the gun,havingjournals which pass through the guide-rails. This rail is enlargedin the center, where the screw for elevating and depressing the muzzleof the gun passes through it.

-aimed at the same spot.

The advantages claimed for `the construction of avessel like that aboveare, that, when making an attack with her bow toward the opposing vesselor fort, the vessel attacking presents no surface that can beeft'ectually struck by a shot, and While in this position all the gunson both sides can be discharged at an object at the same time,and everygun may be While pursuing an enemy she can constantly discharge her gunsfrom both sides without changing her course, and can also do so when sheis used as a ram.

The advantage claimed for the vessel'as a ram is in the beam and thearrangement of the deck and bottom planks as braces, causthe WholeWeight of the vessel at the time of collision to be thrown upon the beamthroughout the entire length of it. By this arrangement a crushing blowcan be dealt without injury to the attacking vessel.

Having now described the nature of the invention and the mode ot'constructing and using the same, I will proceed to state the claims.

What I cla-im as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. Constructing the gundeck of oblique plank, in combination with thegun-battery to be used thereon, substantially as and for the pur-` poseset forth.

2. Constructing port holes with' projecting sides, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

3. The combination of beam c with the deck plank, when the same arelocked together and braced, substantially in the manner andv tor thepurpose set forth herein.

4. The lockpiece, g g, in combination with the ram part or the beak' ofthe vessel, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

PETER ANDREW.

Witnesses:

WM. F. KELLY, G. C.' HARDING.

